National News

Ferry workers to boycott Ferry McFerryface

Sydney's newest ferry is called Ferry McFerryface but the vessel may not be going anywhere anytime soon, with the maritime union boycotting the boat due to its "disrespectful" name.

Maritime Union of Australia NSW assistant branch secretary Paul Garrett says ferry workers are "insulted" by the name and see it as a "bad joke" that will quickly wear thin.

"They should have named the ferry after a prominent or eminent Australian or an indigenous leader," Mr Garrett told AAP on Tuesday.

In a competition to name six new inner-harbour ferries, the somewhat unoriginal Ferry McFerryface in fact came fifth behind Boaty McBoatface, which was ruled out on the basis it was already the name of a submersible carried on the UK research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough.

McFerryface is now one of a fleet of 30 inner-harbour ferries.

The top names according to the competition votes were Catherine Hamlin, Victor Chang and Fred Hollows, followed by Boaty McBoatface and Ferry McFerryface.

The first three made the cut as well as Bungaree and Pemulwuy.

Then, of course, there's McFerryface.

The union says one ferry is always kept as a back-up and barely used. Therefore the boycott might not impact commuters that much but it will potentially leave McFerryface all dressed up with a new name but with nowhere to go.

"A boycott would have an impact if there was an unscheduled breakdown of one of the other ferries," Mr Garret said on Tuesday.

Ferry workers are copping "McDonald's references" at the moment, the union leader added, with passengers asking if the next ferry is going to be called Chicken McNuggets or Hamburglar.

"My secretary came in and said she felt like a McFlurry - she's heard it all day."

Transport Minister Andrew Constance has declined to comment on the union boycott.